


Like Breathing

by justbreathe80



Category: due South
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-14
Updated: 2009-12-14
Packaged: 2017-10-04 10:26:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justbreathe80/pseuds/justbreathe80
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ray knows that Kowalski's not easy, not by a long shot, and Fraser's not used to this, just being around someone else, let alone living with two Chicago cops who couldn't stay married to the same woman, for Christ's sake.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like Breathing

**Author's Note:**

> aerye asked for F/K/V in her comments. Well, it grew a plot so, here it is.
> 
> Thank you to my darling brooklinegirl for the insta-beta. I adore you beyond the telling of it.

Ray pushes the front door closed softly. He can hear the voices drifting from the kitchen, and, _shit_, Kowalski sounds pissed. Fraser's tone is even and calm, which usually means that he's about to punch someone in the face. Ray hangs up his coat carefully, and leans down to take off his shoes, moving quietly.

Fraser and Kowalski don't fight too often, they generally maintain the peace, even though Ray knows that Kowalski's not easy, not by a long shot, and Fraser's not used to _this_, just being around someone else, let alone living with two Chicago cops who couldn't stay married to the same woman, for Christ’s sake. It's usually Ray and Kowalski that have the epic battles, arguing about anything and everything, then fucking to make up afterwards. In those times, Fraser comes to them in the aftermath, slides into bed as Ray is down on his knees at the foot, taking Kowalski's cock into his mouth, and Kowalski whispers, "It's okay, we're okay, Frase. I love you. _We_ love you." When Ray looks up, he can see Kowalski smoothing Fraser's hair back, looking at him, reassuring him with his eyes and his words that they _are_ okay. That fighting is just another thing with them. Like breathing.

But with Fraser and Kowalski, man, those fights are interesting, because Kowalski rages and waves his hands around and yells, and while Ray will do that right back, because he's the _king_ of the domestic dispute, thank you very much, Fraser just stays calm, holds it in until he cracks, and Ray has walked in on Fraser holding Kowalski against the wall by his neck, Kowalski grinning like mad.

Ray turns the corner and sees Kowalski standing in the middle of the kitchen, his hands on his hips. He's still, and Fraser is talking. Ray stops where he is and listens.

"Ray, you're being unreasonable. I have no choice, it's my _duty_," Fraser says evenly. "What would you have me do?"

Kowalski crosses his arms in front of his chest, and sighs. "How about you try not to fucking kill yourself, okay? You're not the only person on earth who cares whether or not you come home."

So, this isn't just a "Ray, really, do you have to leave your towel on the bathroom floor, the towel bar is right there" kind of fight. Ray's been at a conference for the day; usually he's with Fraser and Kowalski and knows what happened at work. He missed something big today, apparently.

"I wasn't trying to kill myself, I was simply trying to diffuse the situation." Fraser has that tone, that snippy, superior tone he gets when someone challenges his methods. He's a stubborn fuck, Fraser is.

Kowalski walks closer to Fraser, getting inside his personal space. Fraser is backed against the counter, dish towel in hand. "Diffuse it with your head? You don't carry a fucking _gun_, and you put yourself between me and a guy who has killed probably a hundred people in his life and never blinked. I just -- "

"Ray, I was fine, really. Everything turned out fine."

"Fuck you, Frase. I shot the guy in the fucking _chest_. He would have killed you. God, I fucking love you, you crazy Canadian fuck!" Kowalski's voice is ratcheting up a notch now, and Ray holds his breath. “What the hell do you think I would do without you? What would _we_ do without you?” Kowalski’s shaking now, his voice breaking.

Okay, yeah. Ray steps into the kitchen, and watches as Fraser’s head snaps up, and Kowalski turns to look at him.

“Ray,” Fraser says, looking pretty fucking miserable. Fraser’s never been good at fighting, it takes everything out of him.

“Hey, Benny,” Ray shoots back, walking over to plant a soft kiss on Fraser’s lips, his arms around Fraser’s shoulders. Fraser leans into him, like this is taking everything out of him, like he can’t even hold himself up anymore. Ray hugs him tightly, then releases him and turns to Kowalski, arms wrapped around himself, shaking with anger and hurt and fucking _fear_. See, Fraser worries, worries that Ray and Kowalski will tear each other apart, worries about every little thing for the three of them, but Kowalski, he’s scared to death. He’s terrified that he’s going to lose this, and Ray thinks he’s most scared that Fraser won’t come home one of these days.

“Ray,” Ray says, tilting Kowalski’s chin up and looking into his eyes, wild with fear and anger. Ray leans forward and kisses him, and Kowalski unfurls and clutches him, tightly, pushing his tongue into Ray’s mouth, pressing his body full-length against Ray’s, making him stumble until his back hits the counter, hard. He feels Kowalski getting hard against his leg. Sometimes, Kowalski needs this, skin on skin, clutching, fucking, just to know that they’re okay, that they’re still here. “Hey, it’s okay, he’s okay,” Ray says against Kowalski’s neck. Kowalski just pushes into him, harder. Ray looks up to catch Fraser’s eye, and gestures Fraser over to them with a nod.

A second later, he feels Fraser’s hands on his arms. He’s behind Kowalski, and the two of them are pinning Ray to the counter, the edge digging into his back. Kowalski’s breath is coming fast now, and he’s easing back from Ray to melt back into Fraser, who is kissing Kowalski’s neck lightly.

“Okay, you two,” Ray says softly, placing his hands on Kowalski’s skinny hips, reaching out his fingertips to touch the scratchy wool of Fraser’s tunic. “I have no idea what happened today, but listen, okay? We’re cops, and shit like this is going to happen. One of us _will_ get hurt, I can guarantee you that.”

Kowalski looks ready to answer back, say something, but Ray just keeps going.

“But, we have to be careful, because this is good, so good, and we want all three of us here at the end of the day. We’ve got more than just ourselves now, and we have to act like it.” What he wants to say, what he hopes they hear in his voice is that they’re a family. Ray, Kowalski, Fraser, and the mutt. Them against the whole goddamn world.

Fraser looks up at him, pauses for a minute, then nods. “Okay. I’m sorry, Ray,” and at that Kowalski is turning around, kissing Fraser frantically, then pulling back to whisper against Fraser’s lips as Ray holds him up. “I love you, you crazy bastard, we love you, don’t forget that. You scared the shit out of me today. I need you to be careful, please.”

Fraser nods, reaching out to hold Kowalski’s head in his hands. He leans forward to kiss Kowalski, and it deepens, and Kowalski’s moaning into Fraser’s mouth, grinding back into Ray’s dick. Ray reaches around Kowalski to work open the button and zipper on his jeans and tug them down enough to reach his hand in and pull Kowalski’s cock out of his boxers. His hand bumps into Fraser’s, which is opening his own pants, and Ray wraps his hand around both of their cocks, hard and leaking. He thinks for a minute about getting his own dick into the action, but it seems happy enough with the way Kowalski is grinding back into him, so he pushes back.

He puts one arm around Kowalski’s waist, and keeps working them with his other hand. Kowalski’s got both hands on Fraser’s hips, holding himself there, rocking back and forth between Ray’s fist around his dick and the slide of Fraser’s dick against his, and Ray’s cock pressing against his ass. Fraser’s hand covers Ray’s and helps him, stroking them rough and slow, making sure they feel it.

“That’s it, come on,” he says into Kowalski’s ear, and he’s going to come in his pants just from jerking them off and rubbing against Kowalski. “Let it go, let it all go.”

Kowalski’s speeding up now, getting into it with his hips, and Ray sees sparks every time Kowalski backs up. He’s close, and he can tell from the way Fraser’s moaning, softly but still there, and the way Kowalski’s babbling that it’s not going to be long for any of them.

“I love you, so much, god, so fucking good,” Kowalski gasps, and Ray feels Kowalski’s whole body go tense in his arms before he gives it up, comes all over Ray’s hand and Fraser’s hand and Fraser’s dick. Fraser’s sliding forward now, his cock slick with Kowalski’s come, moving easily through their hands, and he groans, mixing his come with Kowalski’s. They’re a fucking gigantic mess, but Ray can’t bring himself to care. Fraser’s leaning up against Kowalski, breathing hard, his hands rubbing Kowalski’s hipbones where they’re exposed. Ray wipes his hand on Kowalski’s t-shirt, then grabs onto his hips, tangling his fingers with Fraser’s and thrusting against Kowalski’s ass. It only takes a minute before he’s coming, ruining a really expensive pair of pants in the process, pulling Kowalski back and holding him there. He lets himself slump back against the counter, shaking a little, not able to move even if he wanted to. Kowalski and Fraser are moving in front of him, and when he comes to a little, Fraser’s at his side, kissing him softly.

This isn’t the first fight, and god knows it won’t be the last, but things are okay. Ray puts his arm that’s not still clutching Kowalski for all it’s worth around Fraser’s shoulders, and pulls him close.


End file.
